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Encore! A path for workplace re-entry

05 Sep 2017

Parsys 2

Pauline Dyletczuk meant to take a short break from her 25-year career at another top investment bank as a Vice President in Operations before several personal crises piled up, including a divorce, a successful course of cancer treatments, and caring for her father who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Though she was eager to return, Pauline wanted a way to ease into the transition back into the workforce.

2017 Encore! fellow Pauline Dyletczuk is now a Manager in Operations at Barclays.

Barclays’ Encore! programme gave Pauline the exact opportunity she was seeking – a paid workplace re-entry programme complete with tailor-made classes and mentorship opportunities with senior managers to help fill her knowledge gaps and prepare her to get back to work. Pauline obtained her MBA and was employed as a full-time substitute teacher during her time away from finance.

Encore! helped to strengthen the abilities she had not recently used in the workplace, such as her presentation skills. Pauline now oversees the on-boarding of new clients in the Americas in her full time role as a Manager in Operations at Barclays.

Now in its second year, the Barclays' Encore! programme invites select applicants to participate in a 10-week programme focused on workforce re-entry. In addition to matching qualified candidates with open positions at Barclays, Encore! helps to increase diversity at the bank by broadening the pipeline of new hires. Encore! also expands Barclays' talent pool with fellows who bring unique life experiences and perspectives to managing and navigating the workplace.

During her time in the Encore! programme, Clare Pickering brushed up on her leadership skills and familiarised herself with current compliance and regulatory trends. Clare was ready to return to work after taking time off to raise her child and volunteer full-time. She previously spent 20 years in the financial services industry, the last 5 years as a Fixed Income Research analyst also at a top investment bank. She is now a Vice President in Municipals Strategy and Research at Barclays and was recently selected for a 10-week leadership programme, endorsed by CEO Jes Staley, to further her training.

2017 Encore! fellow Clare Pickering is now a Vice President in Municipals Strategy and Research at Barclays.

Debbie Mazer, Head of Resourcing for Barclays International, oversees the Encore! programme. She notes that fellows like Pauline and Clare are taught new skills to rebuild their professional confidence, and can leverage access to leadership training to further their development.

Successful Encore! fellows take advantage of the opportunity to fully engage in their work, network across the firm, and participate actively in all workshops and coaching sessions.

Debbie Mazer, Head of Resourcing, Barclays International

Joining Barclays as a full-time employee is even better than Pauline imagined before participating in Encore! “The community at Barclays is absolutely wonderful," Pauline enthuses. “Any person in any role, whether it's someone at the coffee station or colleagues in my department—you ask for help, there's no hesitation. Everyone supports one another."

Clare adds that because there are so many cross applications in various business sectors, she would encourage applicants from various backgrounds—including those outside of finance—to consider applying for Encore! “Many people have different skill sets, experiences, and diverse perspectives. Even if you weren’t in financial services but you managed people or werein Operations, for example, you can easily build on that experience in Encore!”

Applications for the 2018 Encore! programme in New York and London have closed.